Armed man arrested near Trump's golf course ahead of president's visit

A man carrying ammunition has been arrested after appearing to monitor security preparations at Donald Trump's golf course near Los Angeles (LA) two days prior to the US president's visit, authorities have said.

Jeanine John Taele, 38, could be seen taking photos and video at the Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes and had a 16-round magazine with ammunition in his pocket, the LA County Sheriff's Department said.

It added that a loaded pistol had been found in Taele's car, while a search of his home by authorities in the nearby city of Downey had recovered a number of firearms, ammunition, body armour and notebooks with "concerning statements".

The arrest, which took place on Sunday, came just days before Mr Trump was due to arrive for the Republican National Committee dinner.

The department did not elaborate on what the "concerning statements" pertained to or whether the man was planning to target the event or the president himself.

Taele has been charged with several offences, including receiving a large-capacity magazine and possession of a short-barrelled rifle or shotgun.

He has also been charged with a misdemeanour count of carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle.

Read more from Sky News:
'Explosive diarrhoea' cases rise
Starlink could deliver most of world's internet, says Musk

Taele has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and has been ordered to stay away from the golf course and not possess weapons. His bail was set at $250,000.

It was not clear if he had an attorney, and family members could not immediately be reached for comment.

The sheriff's department said that when officers made contact with Taele on Sunday, they had determined he was being investigated by the El Segundo Police Department for a previous robbery.

The sheriff's department said there is "no credible threat to our communities".

Multiple attempts on Trump's life

The US president has survived multiple shootings and threats against his life over the last decade.

Most notably, during his presidential election bid in July 2024, Mr Trump survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in which the gunman was killed.

He was shot while giving a speech to supporters at a campaign rally, later claiming the bullet "came within a quarter of an inch of taking my life".

In February this year, a man was shot dead by the Secret Service after trying to "unlawfully enter" Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

In the same month, a man was jailed for life without parole for trying to assassinate him as he played golf at his Florida country club in 2024.

In April, Cole Allen was charged with the attempted assassination of the president after gunshots were fired at the White House correspondents' dinner in Washington.

Also earlier this year, a Pakistani man was convicted of planning to kill Mr Trump and other prominent US politicians, following Washington's killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

And a 20-year-old British man was jailed in 2016 after trying to grab a police officer's gun at a rally in a Las Vegas casino, later saying he drove to the event to try to kill Mr Trump.

(c) Sky News 2026: Armed man arrested near Trump's golf course ahead of president's visit